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HOLLYWOOD
JESUS
NEWSLETTER #35
Pop Culture From A Spiritual Point of View
HJ
News #35 Main Page
March 31, 2002 ---EASTER!
Greetings from David Bruce, Web Master
This
page was last updated May 14, 2002
___________________________________
Main
Topic:
THE CORRUPTING POWER OF JESUS
ON THE POP MUSIC CULTURE
Sub
Topic
GOOD NEWS -GOD IS AT WORK IN THE CULTURE
A
CLOSER LOOK AT THE MEANING OF MUSIC
Contents:
1.
Amazing Grace is Number One -Why?
2. Jesus has Thoroughly and Totally Polluted Music Culture
3. Grammy Award Winning Music Contains Messages About God
4. The Meaning of Good Friday, Easter and Amazing Grace
5. The Hollywood Jesus Summer Tour -USA and Canada
FORUM
BULLETIN
BOARD
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1. AMAZING GRACE #1
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Here is some refreshing news about the culture in which we
live! It so often seems like we live in a God forsaken world.
What
does Anne Murray have in common with Janis Joplin?
What is the connection between Jimmy Hendrix and Pat
Boone?
What do the Grateful Dead have in common with the Bill
Gather Vocal Band?
How does the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band connect with Lawrence
Welk?
What do the Allman Brothers have in common with Andrew
Lloyd Webber?
What does Elvis Presley have in common with Elmer Bernstein?
What connects Whitney Houston, Jeff Beck, and Glen Campbell?
How do Rod Stewart and the Rev. Billy Graham Choir
connect?
Answer:
They all recorded "Amazing Grace."
I
was in a Bar and Grill the other night with a friend. There was
live music. The music selections were crowd pleasing and irreligious.
Everyone was drinking and moving to the music. Then, from out
of no where, the band started to play Amazing Grace and
the room was instantly quiet and reverent. It was amazing. For
a moment in time the bar was transformed into a holy place.
In
the aftermath of 9/11 America honored the precious human lives
that were taken from us. In an incredible memorial service in
New York a nation paused in awe and profound silence as Amazing
Grace was played with bag pipes. The power behind Amazing
Grace is unparalleled.
The
list of films that have used Amazing Grace is near endless.
Perhaps the most famous is Brave Heart, with its use of the bagpipes.
The use of bagpipes playing Amazing Grace is now a universal
standard of epic proportions.
Amazing
Grace is the most honored and recorded song of all time. Amazon.com
lists some 2000 currently available recordings of Amazing Grace.
Nothing else comes remotely close.
It
crosses all lines -from classical to country -from rock to traditional
folk. It is permanently ingrained in the culture. No other song
has enjoyed such diverse rendering.
Artists
who have recorded it include Boys ll Men, Dave Matthews Band,
Whitney Houston, Jerry Garcia & David Grisman, Tori Amos,
Faith Evans, Twila Paris, Krystal, Glen Campbell, LeAnn Rimes,
Janis Joplin, Shirley Caesar, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Paul Simon, Elvis
Presley, Randy Travis, Arlo Guthrie, 101 Strings Orchestra, Chet
Atkins, Seven Nations, Phil Driscoll, The Von Trapp Children,
Victor Wooten, Jimmy Hendrix, Blind Boys of Alabama, Jordanaires,
Meadowlark Lemon, Ani DiFranco, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, Drop
Kick Murphy, Aretha Franklin, Christy Lane, Conway Twitty, Andy
Williams, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Boots Randolph, Judy Collins,
Mahalia Jackson, Batmobile, Vicky Philips, Blind Willie McTell,
Sonny James, Lou Rawls, Pete Seeger, Esteban, Elvis Presley, Dropkick
Murphys, Charlie Rich, Charlotte Church, Crazy Cat George, Johnny
Cash, Original Drifters, Pat Boone, Mickey Gilley, Anne Murray,
Chet Atkins, Joan Baez, Tommy Smith, Jim Nabors, Jim Hendricks,
Al Green, Shanon, Loretta Lynn, B.J. Thomas, Charlie Daniels Band,
Ike & Tina Turner, Cherry Bomb Club, Pras -Ghetto Supastar,
Mantovani, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, Patti Page, The Neville
Brothers, Arlo Guthrie, Fats Domino, George Jones, Merle Haggard,
Herbie Mann, Chet Atkins, Cincinnati Pops, Robert Shaw Festival
Singers, George Gershwin, Elmer Bernstein, Voices of Watts, The
Beat Daddys, Leadbelly, Andrew Lloyd Webber, The David Rose Orchestra,
Lawrence Welk, K.C. & the Sunshine Band, Ray Stevens, The
Weavers, The Lemonheads, Ray Price, Gatlin Brothers, Tsa'Ne Dose,
Glenn Yarbrough, Scott Fitzgerald, Rod Stewart, Glenn Miller,
Cecelia, Oak Ridge Boys, Mantovani. The list goes on and on.
Even
though there are some very disturbing trends within our culture,
it is good to know that God's Amazing Grace is very much alive
and doing well!
QUESTION: Why do you think Amazing
Grace become the most honored and performed song of all time?
Comment
here
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2. JESUS HAS POLLUTED MUSIC CULTURE
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The
Amazing Grace phenomena brings up an interesting question. What
has "polluted" culture more? The goodness of God or
the evil of Satan?
Perhaps
saying "Jesus has polluted culture" is not the best
way to state what I want to say. But, it makes the point.
The
problem: So many Christians are afraid of the world around them.
In fact, some preachers and religious teachers are encouraging
their people to avoid the world around them. It is polluted they
say. Avoiding the world keeps you pure. Don't watch movies or
listen to pop music they warn. Locked doors and monk-like personal
isolationism are being presented as the apex of holiness. They
say this is what godliness is. I say "Rubbish."
Actually,
when good people avoid the world around them, the world becomes
less good.
There
is evil in the world, for sure. But, instead of thinking that
the world has been corrupted by evil without hope, I like to think
of the world as corrupter by Jesus with good reason for hope.
I
once wrote in a HJ Newsletter that we are to be salt and light
in the world around us and a young woman e-mailed me to ask where
I got such an ungodly idea. Well, I get such ungodly ideas as
that from Jesus Christ -the greatest "corrupter" of
all time.
How
corrupting is Jesus on Culture? I did a song title search
of all currently available recordings with the name "Jesus"
in them. The results was a mind blowing 17,057! From "Jesu
Joy of Man's Desiring" by Bach to "Jesus Rocks
Me" by Loretta Lynn. No other name in the title of
songs comes anywhere close (Consider Lucifer at 174). Jesus has
thoroughly and totally polluted music culture -for the good.
Surprising
Results. Just for the record (pun intended), here are
the number of occurrences of other some key words found currently
available songs
Lucifer = 174
Satan = 732
Demon = 951
Drugs = 1081
Darkness = 1797
Hate = 2828
Sad = 2924
Sex = 3142
Hell = 4112
Devil = 5356
Death = 7473
Mary (the most common name) = 8348
Happy = 9890
Heaven = 11,955
Light = 15,044
Angel = 15,866
God = 18,855
Life = 28,889
Love = 32,000+
Heart = 32,000+
All
too often the "bad things" get all the attention. Evil seems to
get center stage attention. Perhaps it is time to take a second
look. Popular music, even in the midst of its profanity and glorification
of destructive life styles, is searching for that relationship
that all humans hunger for in the depths of their souls. There
is goodness and Amazing Grace at work.
Question:
Why do you think Jesus is the most honored name in today's music?
Post
you response here
Question:
Why do people fail to see goodness (grace) in the world?
Or, do you disagree with me about goodness?
Comment
here
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3. GRAMMY AWARD WINNING MUSIC
CONTAINS MESSAGES ABOUT GOD'S AMAZING GRACE
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I
must admit to being stunned by the fact that "O Brother,
Where Art Thou" was given the Grammy Award for "Album
of the year" and it also won Best Compilation Soundtrack.
Have you heard some of the songs on that album? Some of the lyrics
include:
As
I went down in the river to pray
Studin about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord show me the way
— — —
Keep on the sunny side of life (The Hollywood Jesus theme song)
Let us trust in our Savior always
He will keep us everyone in his car
— — —
When I die Hallelujah by and by
I'll fly away
When the shadows of this life have gone
I'll fly away...
To a land where joys will never end...
— — —
It's a Highway to heaven
I'll be somewhere workin for my Lord...
If He calls me I will answer...
— — —
Oh, you have got to ask the Lord's forgiveness
No one else can ask him for you...
You have got to go to the Lord
No one can go for you...
— — —
Oh bear my longin heart to him
Who bled and died for me
Whose blood now cleanses from all sin
And gives me victory
And if this isn't enough U2 was awarded Record of the Year,
Best Rock Album and Best Pop Performance. Their CD was All
That You Leave Behind. On the cover of that album is a photo
of the rock group U2 at the airport. One an overhead airport sign
group member Bono wrote over it J33-3. Which is a Bible reference
to Jeremiah 33:3: "Call to me and I will answer you, and
will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."
And
the Lyrics in this U2 album is some of the most Christ
centered music I have heard in years. Consider the following:
Heaven on earth
We need it now...
Jesus could you take the time
To throw a drowning man a line
I
must admit, I am blown away. Contrary to the common perception
God is at work in the pop music scene! It is simply Amazing Grace!
Question:
What is your take on pop music?
Comment
here
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4. THE MEANING OF GOOD FRIDAY, EASTER AND AMAZING GRACE
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As
a matter of fact, we should not be surprised to learn that God
is at work in pop culture. Consider these words of Celtic spiritual
leader George McLeod:
"I
simply argue that the Cross should be raised at the center of
the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am
recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral
between two candles; but on a cross between two thieves; on
the towns' garbage heap; at a crossroad, so cosmopolitan they
had to write his title in Hebrew and Latin and Greek... at the
kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and
soldiers gamble. Because that is where He died. And that is
what He died about. That is where church-men ought to be and
what churchmen ought to be about."
Good
Friday and Easter are a reminder that God corrupts darkness and
lights the world. The Easter season reminds us of how God works
within the garbage of our culture to get at the garbage in our
souls. To free us and make us whole.
Jesus
said of his crucifixion on that garbage heap, "And I, as I am
lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather
them around me." -John 12:32.
This
means the world is not all doom and gloom as some would tell
us.
This
means God is working in the world/culture. God is greater
than the evil one -greater than death -greater than darkness.
It means everyone is precious to God. Everyone has value. God's
very image is in everyone. All of creation bears God's signature.
This
means: go into the world and experience the goodness of God
which is everywhere. The culture pounds with the very heart and
story of God. So shout it from the mountain top:
Amazing
grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see....
The
Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
YOUR
FEEDBACK:
I am interested in your views:
Comment
here
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6. THE HOLLYWOOD JESUS USA TOUR
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We are putting together a multimedia speaking tour and I will
be traveling through out the United States and possibly Canada
this Summer (June through September). We are in the planning stages
now. If you would like me to speak at your church or group please
contact me, perhaps we can schedule a time. I look forward to
meeting with many of you. It will be a lot of fun.
David
Bruce
(541) 261- 2916
Speaking
Comment
here
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